OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1906. 243 



frequent frosts at night, still continued to make slow but satis- 

 factory and liealtliy growth. The pastures, however, remained 

 unusually bare until May, when the nights became warmer, and 

 light falls of rain occurred at rather frequent intervals. 



In the garden this was also an unsatisfactory spring. The 

 cold and wet soil in the early part of it caused seeds to 

 germinate slowly and irregularly. There was an abundant show 

 of blossom on the fruit-trees, but the greater part of it was 

 destroyed by the keen frosts in April and May. 



Our observer at St. Albans (New Farm) reports that the 

 frost of April 19th turned the almond and cherry blossom brown, 

 while that of April 25th shrivelled and blackened the buds on 

 the horse-chestnut and walnut. At St. Albans (Glenferrie 

 Eoad) the lilac, although covered with flower-buds, bore no open 

 blossoms. At Hitchin many horse-chestnut buds were destroyed 

 by frost before flowering. 



The coltsfoot came into flower three days late, the wood- 

 anemone two days late, the blackthorn one day late, the horse- 

 chestnut six days late, the hawthorn one day late, and the white 

 ox-eye six days late. On the other hand, the garlic hedge- 

 mustard was four days early. 



The spring migrants arrived behind their average dates, the 

 swallow being two days late, the cuckoo seven days late, the 

 nightingale ten days late, and the flycatcher two days early. 



The wasp made its appearance sixteen days late, the small 

 white butterfly nine days late, and the orange-tip buttei-fly one 

 day late. 



The Summer. 



Taken as a whole this was a very warm summer, but only in 

 August was the heat very exceptional. It proved also a very 

 dry season. Indeed, but for a remarkably heavy fall of rain on 

 one day at the end of June, this would have been one of the 

 driest summers ever known. There was a splendid record of 

 sunshine in all three months, while the average duration 

 exceeded the mean for the quarter by as much as one and a half 

 hours a day. 



The exceptionally heavy rainfall above referred to was warmly 

 welcomed by the farmers after three weeks of dry weather. 

 This downpour was of great assistance to the grass, but came 

 unfortunately too late to save the hay-crop, which was almost 

 everywhere very poor. The dry weather which followed, how- 

 ever, allowed what hay there was to be harvested very quickly, 

 and in excellent condition. All the other farm-crops were also 

 much benefited for a time by the good soaking the ground had 

 received, but owing to the scanty falls of rain in the next two 

 months little further progress was made, with the exception of 

 the corn, during the rest of the season. The root-crops and 

 pastures were, as usual under such conditions, the greatest 

 sufferers. 



